Swertia chirata (Ham) of the Gentianaceae family is a slender, upright herb found in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and Khasi Hills. The plants is an erect herb, stems are robust 0.6 to 1.5 m, branching leaves are opposite, broadly lanceolate, acute, lower leaf often much larger, sometimes petioled. Calyx and corolla are four-lobed. The corolla is green-yellow and tinged with purple. See Kirtikar K M, Basu B D, 1985, Indian Medicinal Plants, Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh, Dehradun.
The whole plant contains gentiamine alkaloids and the aerial part contains xanthones. The main chemical constituents of this plant are ophelic acid and chiratin. The plant also contains resins, tannin, gum, carbonates, phosphates and 4 to 6 percent ash. See Kirtikar K M, Basu B D, 1985, Indian Medicinal Plants, Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh, Dehradun; Chopra R N, 1982, Indigenous Drugs of India. Academic Publishers, Calcutta. A number of workers have shown that the drug contains bitter glycosidal components, chiratin and amarogentin, swerchirin, phytosterol, also a number of acids and phenolic compounds. See Korte F, 1955, Chem. Ber. 88:704; Rorte F, Schicke H G, 1956, Chem. Ber. 89:2404; Dalall S R, Shah R G, 1956, Chemistry and Industry 664.
Swertia species are known for their medicinal value. The Wealth of India, Raw materials Vol X PID (CSIR) New Delhi provide in detail full account of distribution economic importance and uses of genus Swertia. For example, aqueous extracts of Swertia may be used during fever. Other uses include bronchial asthma, dyspepsia and debility. It is a favourite remedy in intermittent fevers, acidity and in bilious dyspepsia accompanied by fever. Swertia chirata is a valuable medicinal plant.
Due to its high demand by the pharmaceutical industry in India and the world, the species has been extensively exploited, so much so that it is now listed a threatened species.
Presently, supply depends on wild sources that have been depleted by over harvesting and progressive habitat clearance. It would, therefore, be helpful to use a tissue culture procedure for large scale propagation and conservation. Beside the strategy evolved should maintain quality and homogeneity of herbs.
Miura et al (1978) has reviewed the work on in vitro regeneration and the production of secondary metabolites in Swertia pseudochinensis and Swertia Japonica. These workers have described organogenesis from the callus cultures of S. japonica and S. pseudochinensis as well as production of Swertiamarin in cultured tissues of S. pseudochinensis. 
Recently, Keil et al. reported production of Amarogentian in root cultures of Swertia chirata from untransformed and transformed root cultures. (Keil et al. 2000 Planta Med, 452-457). Regeneration using root explants has recently been described by Wawrosch et al. (1999).
The roots which formed under the regenerated shoots were short and swollen requiring modification of rooting procedure for better survival rate in the field (Wawrosch C C, Maskay N and Kopp B (1999) Plant Cell Rep. 18:997-2001). Therefore, new media formulation(s) that are capable of efficient plant regeneration in vitro for mass propagation of Swertia chirata are desirable.